Florida State Flag

Florida was one of the first European colonies in North America, so Florida flag history stretches back for far longer than that of most other states. The design of the Florida state flag has changed more often than many other state flags, so the flag of Florida is one of the youngest in the Union despite the fact that it was one of the first states to have a flag of its own.

Colors and Symbolism of the Florida State Flag

The Florida state flag has a red saltire cross on a white field. The state's seal is center on the cross. The red saltire and white field come from the flag of Spain, which founded the first colonies in Florida. The Spanish flag was the first to represent Florida, so the inclusion of the cross on the modern state flag is a symbol of the state's heritage.

The state seal depicts a Seminole woman standing on the shore and scattering hibiscus flowers on the ground. She is near a pair of sabal palm trees and a ship. The seal combines several symbols of Florida and its culture. Sabal palms are the official state tree of Florida, while the ship is a symbol of Florida's importance in naval trade between North America and the Caribbean islands. The Seminole tribe was one of the most influential Native American groups in Florida, and the inclusion of a Seminole woman on the seal represents the tribe's importance in the state's history.

Florida Flag History

Florida flag history begins with the Spanish Empire. Florida represented itself with the Spanish flag until it joined the United States in 1845. It did not have a state flag of its own until 1861, when it succeeded from the Union and joined the Confederacy. That flag fell out of use after the end of the war, but it was replaced in 1868 with a white flag that displayed the state seal in the center. Florida used that flag until 1900 when it adopted a clear precursor to the modern design, which used the same field and cross as the current flag but used a different form of the seal. Florida altered the seal and adopted the modern flag in 1985.

A short history of the Florida State flagIn 1513 on Easter Day, Florida was discovered by the Spaniards, and took its name at that time, which in Spanish is pascua florida. In 1845, Florida was admitted to the Union but seceded in 1861. At that time a new state seal was created. After the Civil War, the state's new flag appeared in the center of a plain white field. This showed a steamboat sailing past a setting sun and the Florida swamps with an Indian woman in the foreground. In 1900, the red cross of St. Andrew (the saltire) was added five years after it was used by Alabama. It was most likely taken from the Battle Flag of the Confederacy. There is no documented evidence to support this; it does seem more than a coincidence. When Florida re-admitted to the Union in 1868, the state used the plain white flag with the seal until 1900 when the current flag was ratified.

A short history of Florida (The Sunshine State)The first permanent settlement on September 8,1565 was at St. Augustine, Florida. Belonging to Spain, except during 1763-83,then in 1821, it was ceded to the USA. Florida was a territory until it was admitted to the Union on March 3, 1845. It seceded in 1861, and re-admitted in 1868.